I have only recently gotten interested in purchasing an HDTV set. I don't know all the ins and outs of the different sets that are available and would like any input that those in the know can give me.

First, I have Dish Network, and will be ultimatey be looking to get the 6000 receiver for HDTV. Short term, I am interested in using a 16:9 set to get away from watching DVD movies with letterbox and to get rid of the annoying scan lines I get on my current analog 53" set.

I am looking for a set in the 65" screen size. Locally I can get a Pioneer Elite Pro-710HD (64" screen)for about $5,800, or a Mitsubishi 65" WS-65907 for $4999. I haven't seen an actual picture on the Mitsubishi, but have seen the Pioneer in action, so I can't really compare the picture quality of the two. On paper the Pioneer looks to have better specs, but I don't know if that actually translates into a significantly better picture when viewing it. Also, I was told by the Sony dealer that Sony is on the verge of coming out with some new HDTV models in the next month or so that will be comparably priced to the two I mentioned above.

I also use a Pronto remote, and would like a set with discrete codes for on-off and direct access to switching the different video sources on the set. Does anybody have any knowledge of which of these sets have the best use of discrete codes?

Does anybody have any thoughts or suggestions on my options, or perhaps other suggestions for better brands I should consider, as well as better deals that I can also get by ordering on the Internet? Also, does it make sense for me to buy one of these sets right now as opposeed to waiting maybe 6 months? Does anybody have any knowledge of lower prices or newer/better technology coming out soon that would warrant me holding off buying for a short time?

Any insight I can get would be greatly appreciated.

I have had the Mits WS-65907 for about a month now. With a progressive scan DVD player (I have a Mits DD-6000) the picture is simply stunning. The Mits has useful screen format settings, 64 point convergence, beautiful cabinet, and plenty of inputs. It is really a solid set.

With regular NTSC broadcasts (I have non-digital cable) the Mits is not the greatest. It ranges from good sometimes to awful on bad days. It must have something to do with how the stars are aligned or if the cable guy has a hangover. I am getting by with hopes that digital cable will help (will have that in January). I'm not sure that the dish will be much better. I viewed the Mits at my dealer's showroom with a big dish and it looks about the same as my cable. NTSC is not a major issue with me as I bought the Mits mostly for movies in home theater.

I have also seen the Pioneer Elite (also a great set) but I couldn't make a side-by-side comparison. I recently saw a Sony 57" 16:9 RPTV, but I don't know if they will have a 65" set.

Yes Mark, Sony will have a 65 inch 16.9 XBR. Supply is slow right now. Yes I agree that cable is less than acceptable, as with just about any hdtv. Don't expect Digital Cable to be any more special on any projection TV. Some rptv's will be crap with it. Sony's 43t70 and t75 models have a jacked picture with at&t digital yet a Toshiba 43 works great and now Toshiba has a 43 hd 4.3. I have no experience whatsoever with Pioneer so I can not say aything in either way about it. The Mits 907 and the Sony 57XBR however I can. I have hooked up Mitsubishi and Proscan/RCA's boxes up and have to say the Mits has quite brilliant colors in HDTV. Sony was not quite as bright and brilliant. You must obviously be impressed with the DD6000 dvd player. It is a great piece and Toshiba made it so well. And now for Mark number one in particular. I don't really know how I would feel about buying a rptv off the net. Somewhere around town you must surely be able to find a deal on what you are looking for at a price willing to work for you. I cannot imagine the shipping nightmares of getting a big screen delivered. My Loewe box looked like it had been through a war by the time it got to my house and it was a 32 inch. I can't imagine a bunch of underpaid shippers dragging my tv accross the country.

Agree with Eric about buying a 65" HDTV on the net. My local dealer delivered & set up my Mits in my basement theater (it weighs 375 pounds!). Also gave me advice on adjustments & setup.

Eric - do you have any experience with dish vs. cable on HDTV?

I have had the Mits 73905 since June with DTC100. It was a strech dollar wise but i am glad I went for it. Picture has been nothing but excellent on HDTV and DVD. Cable is cable. I get my HDTV fix OTA, just need more. The Santa Clause on Disney last night was very good. Just added a Tosh 6200 prog player this weekend to replace my old Sony 330 interlaced and what an improvement. I agree with the previous posters shop and buy local from a knowledgable dealer who can help you get the most out of your investment.

Mark asking me about Digital cable vs dish can open up a large can of worms. How much reading of a reply can you handle? Yes I am not quite a fan of cable or digital cable, I would have to say I have been quite happy with DirecTV's quality. If I was in an area that offered Dish Network only, I would have it or any dish over any ground cable anyday. But I will discuss both sat and cable in a DETAILED response if needed. In this short one I will ask, What is "digital" cable? Gotta love the marketing people who throw words around like this to mess with people.

the new toshiba 61inch 2000 model hdtv ready rules.picture perfect.very pleased.i cant wait untill i get the hd box.without the hd box its still got an amazing picture.140 dagree angle.digital screen.check it out.

I have the 2000 model of Toshiba's 55" HDTV ready set and I have just purchased the new Bell Expressvu(Echostar) 6000 sat. receiver and with the sat. receiver on HD mode, even though the picture is smaller, the picture is way better than on SD mode and covering the whole 55" screen.

The main difference with DVD's is when I first watched a DVD movie on interlaced cables, I wasn't very pleased with the picture, it wasn't anything like the "showroom model's", but I lucked out and I bought a Toshiba progressive scan DVD player, and let me tell you, what a big difference in picture quality. HDTV sets have to have a progressive scan DVD player hooked up to it to really enjoy the picture.

I have yet to see what an HDTV picture looks like, supposedly Expressvu has 2 channels for HDTV, but I have yet to find them on my channel surfing!

Hi Mark,

I purchased the Mits 55807, but spend a lot of time staring at this model next to the 53" non-elite Pioneer. I also compared the Mits diamond series to Pioneer Elite models. Fortunately my local dealer has all these models together so comparisons are easy. Personally, I think it is a matter of personal preference. All the sets have great HDTV pictures. The diamond and elite have better line doublers so non-HDTV singles look better on them (but you can purchase a great after-market doubler for under $800 that is suppose to be better than what comes on the diamond and elite models).

I prefer the Mits picture (obviously, since I purchased one), but know many people that prefer Pioneer's picture. With either set you will be happy. Also, check out the new Sony widescreen.

Whoa are those who believe the "Digital" in anybody's digital cable. The digital part is compressing NTSC analog signals to get more channels out of fixed bandwidth and that's all there is to "Digital Cable". When I got my Mits WT46807, I was shocked by the poor picture quality in the lower channel range (old style analog cable signals that do not require a set-top decoder) and the somewhat improved but only marginally better viewing the higher (digitally compressed) channels.
I suspect that most of the crappy looking picture has much to do with the set's internal doubling of marginal signal quality and stretching it to fit the 16:9 format. Good looks great but less then good looks terrible. I did notice a dramatic improvement in the DVD environment. When I consider what size set I wanted for this new adventure into the premium-priced HD market, I put little creedence into the saying of "bigger is better", that justifies the "the picture is so much better, you can sit closer". Until the majority of programming content is native HD, you might consider going slightly smaller then what your wallet can withstand and enjoy a good satellite feed for most of your programming needs. Dish Network and DirecTV both have SHOWTIME, HBO and pay-per-view HD, but if you live in a top twenty market you may want to invest in a OTA antenna. But be careful in this arena also, there are companies like TERK that will make a killing selling you a $300+ amplified antenna, when a $50-100 purchase will get you what you need.

If you plan to audition this stuff, go to a good high-end store and do yourself the favor of missing the pimple headed teenagers talking giberish at the "Best Buy" type stores. Bring your favorite DVD material with you and make them play it on equipment that is equal to what you have at home. If you don't have progressive scan DVD, make sure you can appreciate the difference when auditioning and make your own decision about what you like. I learned a long time ago that everyone that invests their time and money chasing the "big boy toys" has an opinion about what's best, but ultimately you have to trust your own budget and judgement. If you're not comfortable with the pressure and hype then wait a while for more compelling HD content to hit the market before you make the plunge and it will certainly be more affordable.
Here's the bottom line.
HD ready set $3000-$6000. I payed $2700 for my box from a local high-end joint by telling them that I would gladly buy over the internet if they didn't give me a good price.
HD receiver $600-$1200. I purchased a Dish Network "6023" system, over the internet (HD receiver, 2 dishes) for ~$400 and am getting a $200 rebate from Dish Network. Net cost is ~$200
Satellite subscription $400-$700/year.
DVD "progressive scan" player $350-$1200. I purchased an APEX progressive scan DVD player from Circuit City of all places, for ~$300. The big attraction was this set's ability to play my teenage son's MP3 CDs. There are just some things you can't avoid.

Forget anyone's "Digital" cable until they make the jump. It's hard to say if they'll ever get there. I heard from my local (COX) cable provider that they intend to offer interactive programming (selling pizza delivery over the TV) to their customers and this will "eat up" the needed bandwidth for HD. This is why I told them that I would no longer be their customer. I go out for pizza and I'll spend my TV subscription dollars on satellite.

I've got some serious money invested in my audio equipment, but as you may have noticed I'm also practical about how I spend the dollars. I frequent this site and audioreview.com and others for information and buyer's experiences. Somebody can say that what they bought is the best, but if others have experienced problems with reliability and service, chances are you might be better served by looking at other vendors.

My personal gripe is with manufacturers that ask us to spend thousands on equipment and only offer 90 day to 1 year warranty. I have traditionally invested in Yamaha audio equipment and have 25 year old stuff that my teenage sons use. You get what you pay for and some parts of the technology arena are worth the investment and others worth their utility value. The rest is about knobs, bells and whistles.

Just set up a Pioneer Elite Pro 510 with DishNetwork 6000 receiver - purchased all equipment over the net. The Pioneer is awesome at 53". At 65" I'd prefer a set with 9" CRTs. Both HD and SD look fantastic! I took a gamble and purchased the set from Crazy Eddies - $1,000 less than I could find in a store. I was pleasantly surprised - no problems and in home delivery. I still have my fingers crossed, though.

I have the Mits WS 55805. It's got a beautiful picture especially with my Toshiba SD5109 Progressive Scan DVD. I can't say that I spent a lot of time comparing pictures but I have a friend that knows a lot of people in the audio/video industry and based on my description they all said Mits immediately. May have been partially due to the lower price compared to something like the Pioneer Elite.

I also just got Digital Cable. I can't say that it's worlds above the analog cable but it definitely has a 'less noisy' picture and the surroud seems to be more balanced. The bottom line is that they were doing a free install promo and the monthly charges would be only $5 more so it only made sense to switch over. The box is a Motorola and I was a bit ticked to see that it had an S-Video label but the box was not punched out for it. I peered through the crack and the connector was not there. Oh well, still a ways to go with Cable. I do plan to go to the DirecTV with the Mits (Hughes) HD DirecTV box. I thought I understood it would have been available ages ago but still seems not to be. Should be in the order of $1K with the dish and built in HD receiver for direct connect to the back of the Mits HD ready TV's.

I own the 53 Pioneer Elite and was looking real hard at the Mits> One thing no one has mentioned is that you want to make sure on the Mits that you are getting the 5 screen modes (I almost bought one with 3 on a Dvd that can be set at the 16x9 format there is no problem where you run into the problem is when watching broadcast TV with only 3 formats the picture quality suffers somewhat) Both the new Mits and the PE have the 5 mode screens. I also researched around the net and paid about 400 dollars more for my set through a local dealer I figured being able to go into the store and being able talk with a real person was worth the extra bucks. I also noticed that the larger you get with both the Mits and the PE there is a little drop off in the picture quality due to the fact that both companies are utilizing the same technology in there bigger sets that they are using in the 53 and 55 inch range more screen to fill? You must have a pretty big space if you are stepping up to the 65 inch versions. I think that you also should be aware that HDTV is not here yet and both the Mits and the PE come with the expansion slot to be added at a later day (estimate 5 years for true HDTV) I believe you can't go wrong with either one I did not feel the Samsung, Sony, Panosonic Toshiba's where even in the same class as the Mits or the PE but originally had looked real hard at the Hitachi's and found them to be interesting but at the time they did not have the 16x9 format Good Luck

Hmmm, my Mits only has 3 screen modes and I have been perfectly happy with it. I always keep mine on wide screen and although initially it seemed a little strange since people are slightly wider than normal, my wife and I got use to it right away and love that setting. There is a zoom setting and with that setting you get the correct aspect ratio but you loose the top and bottom of the picture and it does look grainy.

I bought a $3K 61", 4X3 Sony KP-61HS10 HDTV and could have bought anything I wanted. Inputs are:

1. 4DTV/HD200 HDTV big dish combo
2. DSS dish
3. MPEG dish
4. Tivo
5. Pioneer Elite pDVD
6. LD
7. SVHS

...all with a new 2M Pronto.

Reasons:

1. I'll only have it for 1+ year as new technology will tramatically change soon with built in desktop boxes, 720p, etc

2. The picture, after VE/Avia/ISF'ing, is superb.

3. $3K wasn't much.

4. I watch alot of 4X3 cable/DSS.

5. I have an eGroup at [Link: egroups.com] which as the manual and 150+ tips and hints on how to maximize the video.

Don't kiss off 4X3 until you've seen an optimized picture.

If you do go 16X9 my tests show the 710 to have the best line doubler and maybe the best picture...and the front screen can be easily removed. I have taken my screen of the HS10 due to glare.

Jim